


The Phoenix

by Kelticmoon



Series: Fixit Series compliant fics [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, Keith's Red Paladin senses are tingling, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:54:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22124419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kelticmoon/pseuds/Kelticmoon
Summary: The Paladins respond to a distress call to Passerine, a planet of bird people with beautifully colored, vibrant feathers. However Keith suspects all is not as it seems.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Series: Fixit Series compliant fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1507331
Comments: 7
Kudos: 71





	1. Chapter 1

“Welcome to Passerine!”

“We thank you for your hospitality, Physco,” Allura tells the Aquilla who greets them.

Passerine is a warm planet that’s home to the Aquilla, a race of aliens that resemble large birds who walk upright on two legs to walk upright with two feathered wings with hands on them. The ones they've met so far have a large plumage of multicolored feathers in every color of the rainbow.

The Aquilla greeting them has big pale blue wings and very fine clothing.

“We received your distress call,” Allura tells him.

“Oh thank Passerine!” Physco breathes. “I will bring you to Skirax, our king.”

Physco leads them through the city with large lavish buildings made of different colored diamonds with beautiful landscaping and flowers. Outside the buildings are Aquilla with beautifully colored wings and fancy clothes.

Shiro looks around curiously.

“I have to ask. Why haven’t we seen any Galra in this star system?”

“Oh, the Galra were here. Our people were under Galra occupation for a great many deca-phoebs.”

“Then, where are they?” Hunk asks.

“The Great Hero overthrew them.”

Keith raises an eyebrow.

“The Great Hero?”

At that, Physco points to the giant statue made of black and yellow diamonds depicting one of the Aquilla holding a spear in front of a palace made of white diamond.

“Many deca-phobes ago, the Great Hero rose up and cast out the Galra occupying our planet. The Galra have left us alone ever since.”

“How long ago was this?” Shiro asks.

“10 deca-phoebs ago.”

“If the Galra aren’t here anymore than what’s the problem?” Lance asks.

“The Great Hero will have to explain."

Physco brings them into the large palace where they meet a black and yellow butterfly Papillon inside a throne room.

“Paladins, meet Skirax; our King and Great Hero.”

“I’m glad you’re here, Paladins!” Skirax tells them. “We are in desperate need of aid.”

“How can we assist you?” Allura asks.

Skirax walks up to a globe next to his elaborate diamond throne and runs his fingers over the top of it.

The point where his fingers touch the globe start to glow as the room darkens and a holographic image appears showing people who look just like the Aquilla, except their wings are all dull, neutral colors attacking their city.

“A terrorist group has formed among my people in the neighboring city and have made frequent attacks on ours.”

“Why?” Keith asks.

Physco sniffs.

“They are mannerless heathens, that’s why."

“Indeed, just ungrateful troublemakers being selfish,” Skirax agrees.

Keith narrows his eyes at their comments but stays quiet.

“Physco said you drove the Galra from your planet,” Allura adds.

Skirax moves his hand over the Globe again.

The image changes to one showing Skirax entering the palace and then the Galra leaving.

“Indeed I did.”

“How?”

“With a great weapon of my own creation!”

“What’s the great…?”

The image disappears as Skirax cuts across Keith’s question.

“Allow me to have someone give you a tour of my fine city.”

“We would be honored,” Allura tells him.

“Hendra!”

A green Aquilla enters the room when called.

“Could you please show our guests our fair city?”

“Right this way.”

Hendra gestures to the door.

Like everyone else in the city, her clothes are of fine make and she has beautiful, vibrant wings.

Hendra wastes no time showing them all of the theatres, art galleries, and other lavish buildings as well as stores and shops with wealthy goods. In the center of the city is a large building.

She eventually takes them to the highest tower on the wall of the city.

“You have a beautiful city,” Allura compliments.

“Why thank you,” Hendra tells her.

“Is everything in the city made of crystal or diamonds?” Pidge asks.

“They are indeed. Our planet is rich with them. The walls and palace are all diamond and everything else is crystal.”

“Hey, what’s that big building over there?”

Hunk points to a large building in the center of the city that looks like the Coliseum in Rome made of crystal and diamonds.

“That is just an old remnant of the Galra occupation. Nothing more.”

“What about that over there?”

Keith points to a city nearby made of stone and broken crystals surrounded by mountains on one side.

“That is the neighboring city The Great Hero spoke of.”

“Why is their city so damaged?” Pidge asks.

Hendra sneers.

“Because they are lazy and useless. They have had 10 years to repair their city, but they refuse to because they want everything to be done for them.”

Keith’s frown deepens, but he doesn’t say anything.

~

Hendra returns them to the palace and shows them to the rooms they’ll be staying in.

“We hope the accommodations are to your liking.”

“We thank you for your hospitality,” Allura tells her. “We’ll do everything we can to protect your people.”

As the others settle in, Keith leans against the window frame with his arms crossed as he stares at the giant building with a frown.

“Sweet! They have food that isn’t green food goo!” Pidge says as she and the others gather around the table that’s loaded with food.

“Hey, Keith! Come get some food!” Hunk calls to him.

Keith only turns to them long enough to say “Pass” before turning his attention back to the large structure in the middle of the city.

“Everything alright?” Shiro asks him.

“Something about this doesn’t add up. Hendra claims the people from the neighboring city are lazy and useless but according to Skirax a number of them have formed a group and started attacking the city. That’s an awful lot of effort for someone that’s supposed to be lazy. Also, why are they even attacking in the first place?”

“It’s a terrorist group, Mullet,” Lance tells him. “They don’t need have a reason to attack.”

“Technically, we count as terrorists, Lance,” Keith points out. “We are actively attacking an established empire to try to dismantle it.”

“That’s different! We're the good guys fighting an evil dictator! We’re liberating people!” Lance defends.

“From our perspective, yes that’s what we’re doing. But from the perspective of someone loyal to the empire and the way its run, by definition, we’re terrorists who constantly attack and destroy their ship fleets. Also, they said Skirax single-handedly ended an entire Galra occupation 10 years ago and he says he used a weapon of some kind? But he won't explain what that weapon is, even though it was apparently very affective.”

“So what do you suggest we do, Mullet? Say no?”

“All I’m saying is I think there’s more going on than we’re being told. I think we need to do some investigating for ourselves.”

~

Investigating and asking questions is easier said than done.

Every time Keith asks for specifics on how Skirax defeated the Galra, the person he asks always changes the subject. Every time he suggests investigating, they only take him to places where they want them to look. Twice that week they saw for themselves the terrorists attacking. Keith frowns when he sees their attacks are directed specifically at the Galra structure. Their clothes are also old and worn and their form looks more frantic than anything.

Yet their hosts refuse to let them investigate the other city or the Galra structure in their city.

The more they dodge and deflect, the worse Keith’s feeling gets.

Everything comes to a head a movement later.

“Our hosts are requesting Keith halt his insistence on investigating the Galra structure as well as the other city,” Allura tells them that evening.

Keith frowns.

“Why?”

“Evidently you are making them uncomfortable.”

Keith raises an eyebrow.

“Why would asking to investigate the city where the “terrorists” reside and the Galra structure that supposedly isn’t in use anymore make them uncomfortable?”

“Maybe they're trying not to think of the occupation anymore,” Hunk suggests.

“If these terrorists are the bad guys and the people we’re defending are the good guys, then WHY do the “terrorists” look like the people we usually liberate from Zarkon?”

“You’re just paranoid.” Lance brushes off.

“Seriously Keith, they’ve been nothing but polite to us. Why would they lie?” Pidge asks.

“Because they’re hiding something?”

Shiro puts a hand on Keith's shoulder.

“Keith, you know I trust your judgement, but don’t you think maybe you might be a little biased? I saw the look you gave them when they called the other city’s inhabitants “selfish troublemakers”. Maybe you’re taking it personal.”

Keith frowns at him.

“I know what I feel, Shiro! If anything, that alone should be reason enough for at least **you** to listen when I say something about this isn’t right!”

As he walks to the large window to take a deep breath, he spots the bits of diamond sticking out of the palace walls going all the way down to a kind of slanted diamond that Keith could slide down easily.

Keith turns back to them as he gets an idea.

“Cover me. I’m going to do some investigating on my own. We’re never going to find any answers if they’re constantly breathing down my neck. I KNOW there’s more going on here, even if you guys won’t admit it.”

“What are we supposed to tell them?” Allura asks.

Keith opens the window.

“I don’t know. You guys are the better liars here.”

Keith sits on the window and swings himself out.

“Be careful climbing down, ok."

Keith shoots Shiro a smirk.

“Who do you think you’re talking to? Lance?”

“Hey!”

“Besides, it’s not like this is the first time I’ve ever climbed out a window higher than two floors.”

Keith climbs down to the slanted diamond before sliding down it to ground level. Once there, he disappears quickly into the shadows.

~

Keith keeps to the alleyways until he sees a watercourse leading out of the city. He quickly jumps in and swims through the watercourse until he’s outside the city walls. Once outside the walls, he makes a beeline for the other city.

He starts recording with his helmet as he gets to the other city.

The first thing he sees as he approaches are farm fields and mines built into the mountains around it.

The exterior wall has so many holes, he just picks one and slips in.

~

The following morning, the others met with their hosts after eating breakfast.

“I do not see your Red Paladin,” Skirax notes. “Will he be joining us?”

“We felt it best if the Red Paladin returned to the Castle of Lions,” Allura tells them seamlessly. “He did not wish to comply with your request.”

“A shame, but you have our thanks.”

"Though, it would have been easier to just show him the inside of the Galra building," Shiro points out. "I understand not wanting to think about being a prisoner to the Galra more than anyone here, but if your people keep trying to attack that building, there must be a reason."

"We assure you, there is no reason."

Shiro frowns but says nothing.

~

Keith moves silently through the alleyways until he comes to a main street where he looks on from the shadows.

“Ok Skirax. What are you hiding that you don’t want us seeing?”

“You…”

Keith hears movement behind him and turns with his hand ready to summon his bayard.

He stops when he sees it’s the citizens of this city.

They look like they haven’t eaten in weeks or if they have, not very much.

“You’re with the group helping the nobility.”

Keith holds his hands up to show he means no harm.

“I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on here,” Keith tells them.

A male with brown wings steps forward.

“I am Novu, Red One. ”

“Why is your city still in ruins?”

“Before now, we had too few crystals. Now we are too hungry.”

“Whose farms and mines are those?”

“Ours. Before the invasion, we were farmers and miners. We are still farmers and minors, but our people are starving.”

“And the reason you don’t eat your own crops is?”

“The Papillion take all and give us only rations in exchange. If we’re caught hiding food, we’re severely punished.”

Novu points to his companions whose wings appear to have been cut off.

“Is that why you’re attacking the other city? For food? Vengence?”

“In part.”

A younger female at Novu's side with rust colored wings speaks.

“This is my daughter, Navi.”

“I lead the resistance. Our attacks on the nobles aren’t just for food and retribution, though I’d be lying if I said they aren’t part of it. No, we’re attacking because they’ve been kidnapping our young and we’re tired of it!”

Keith frowns.

“Why so much hostility toward you?”

“The nobility view us as lesser beings.”

“Why are they taking your young?”

“All we know is once a year, at this time, a number of our young are taken to the building and every year the Galra return…”

Keith immediately stops both Navi and the recording before opening a private channel to Coran in orbit with the Castle of Lions.

“Coran, are you receiving me?”

“Loud and clear, Number 4. What can I help you with?”

“Run a quick scan of this star system and all systems in the vicinity of us for any and all Galra ships.”

“Right away, Number 4.”

A few tics later.

“No Galra spotted at this time, Number 4.”

“Keep those active. At the first sign of a Galra ship, send an alert to Princess Allura immediately.”

“Will do, Number 4. Shall I alert her to the potential danger?”

“Negative. At least not yet. I can’t risk our hosts finding out we know about this yet. There are hostages.”

“Alright. I’ll keep a look out for you and notify Allura right away if I spot something.”

Keith closes out the coms.

“Sorry about that. Real quick though, do you know how Skirax drove them out in the first place? He mentioned a weapon of some kind.”

“All we know is he entered with one of our gifted children and the Galra left. We believe he either sold her or used her gifts to “persuade” them to leave.”

Keith frowns.

“Gifts.”

“Every now and then one of our young will be born with what are called Passerine’s gifts. They are special and unique abilities. Before the Galra invaded, they were revered because they used their abilities to protect us all. When the Galra invaded, they were all killed. Somehow, Skirax kept one from being found. We don’t know how he knew her.”

“You think your young are being kept in the Galra building in the Papillion city?”

“Yes.”

Keith thinks for a tic.

“Maybe it’s time to use a different tactic. Just know, the Paladins and Princess wouldn't be helping Skirax if they knew this. But I can't risk notifying them because I don't know if they're with Skirax or not.”

Navi nods acceptingly before looking at him curiously.

“What do you have in mind?”

~

Keith sneaks back inside the other city at sunset without being detected and successfully slips back into the palace. He walks through the palace until he gets to the throne room where Skirax is currently speaking with Physco and Hendra.

Keith sends his recording to Shiro’s Paladin armor before doing something he knows is both incredibly brave and incredibly stupid.

“Skirax!”

Keith walks briskly up to the leader and his two followers.

“I know why your people are attacking you! Where are their children?! Is that how you're keeping the Galra away? By selling them into slavery.”

Skirax sighs.

“You know, it’s a shame you couldn’t leave it alone.”

Suddenly, Keith feels like the ground beneath his feet is moving and twisting; bringing him to his knees.

“I really did want your final hours of freedom to be spent in luxury.”

The last thing Keith sees before everything goes black is a figure with black and red wings approaching him with red glowing eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This entire chain of stories is based on the Ace storyline from Justice League and Batman Beyond. If you've seen that storyline, then you probably know where this is going.

Keith blinks his eyes open with a groan.

The first thing Keith sees is a cell door with bars made of crystal and diamond. When he picks himself up off the floor, he sees he still has his Paladin armor without his helmet and his bayard and knife are gone.

“Are you ok?”

Keith looks to his left and sees a female Aquila that looks younger than Pidge sitting in the cell next to him. Her feathers are iridescent black that fades to red. Her eyes are as blood red as the hair-like crest of feathers on her head. Around the top of her head is a black circlet with a red crystal in the middle like the one on the bracelet around her wrists.

Unlike Keith’s cell, hers looked a lot like Allura’s.

Or it would if it wasn’t in a prison cell.

Keith looks at her.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Avis.”

“Keith.”

Keith looks around.

“The last I remember, I was in the throne room… then everything started spinning…”

Avis looks at him calmly.

“That was me… I’m sorry…”

Keith remembers the black and red figure with red eyes.

“That was you?”

“Kinda.”

“What do you mean?”

She points to the circlet on her head.

“When Papa activates it, I’m not me anymore.”

“Papa?”

“He used my powers to negotiate an agreement with the invaders. Now he uses them to force the farmers and miners to give up their children.”

Keith puts two and two together.

“Skirax is your father.”

Avis nods.

“So that means the weapon he spoke of was you?”

She nods.

“My powers grant me the ability create realistic illusions as well as the ability to both read and control minds. I have other abilities, but Papa doesn’t know about those. I never told him. I didn’t want him to make me use them on people. They’ve been more a curse than blessing.”

Keith looks at her.

“How old are you, Avis?”

“12 deca-phobes.”

Keith does the math. Avis would have been 2 when Skirax overthrew the Galra.

"Why does he keep you locked in a cell?"

"He said it was to protect me. That the Galra would try to kill me. After they were driven away though, he said it was to keep me safe. He said others would abuse my powers if they knew. So far the only person who has abused them is him."

“Have you tried taking the circlet off?”

She gives him a dead stare that answers the question plainly.

“What happens when you try?”

“I get hurt. I can’t explain it. I just know I can’t remove it myself.”

“What if I tried?”

Before she can answer, they hear a door open nearby followed by footsteps. Avis shoots Keith an apologetic look right before Hendra comes into view and raises a glowing crystal. Avis’ eyes start to glow red and Keith feels his body move on its own.

~

The other Paladins are jolted awake by Allura’s coms going off.

“Allura, are you there?”

Allura places her helmet on her head.

“Coran? What’s the matter?”

“Castle scanners have detected a Galra cruiser at the edge of Passerine’s star system.”

That gets everyone’s attention.

“I thought Skirax said he scared them off?” Hunk asks.

“Maybe they’ve come back to retake the planet?” Pidge suggests.

That’s when Shiro puts his helmet on.

“Guys, Keith sent us a message.”

“He’s the one who told me to alert you directly should I detect Galra ships in this system’s vicinity.”

Shiro quickly patches the others through to his visor and plays the recording.

They see Keith approaching the other city. They see how starving the people of the other city are as they work the fields and mines. Then they see Keith’s conversation with Novu and Navi.

“So… So Skirax bought their freedom by SELLING his own people to the Galra?!” Pidge asks, echoing the sentiments of everyone present.

That’s when the recording starts to play a second recording.

~

_Keith is with Navi and a group of people that are clearly a resistance movement._

_“Does everyone understand the plan?” Keith is heard asking._

_Navi nods._

_“We slip inside the city using the water course, keeping to the shadows to avoid detection. You will provide a distraction long enough for us to get inside the structure and save our hatchlings.”_

_“What will you do, Red One?”_

_“Something very stupid, but I know will hold his attention long enough for you to get inside the building without being seen. I’m gonna confront Skirax.”_

_“Will you alert the other Paladins?”_

~

Shiro’s stomach drops when he sees the camera shake no. Shiro’s on his feet and at the door before the end of the recording.

~

_“We still don’t know what the weapon is. I have a hunch about what the weapon is and if I'm right, it'll be close to Skirax. I can’t risk all of us getting captured or worse by it since there’s likely a cruiser heading this way.”_

~

The others quickly follow.

~

Keith feels himself being brought into the large building which turns out to be an arena. He’s thrown into the center of the ring.

He looks around and sees a small group of Aquila around Avis's age standing with a small handful of the resistance members huddled with their young.

“Did the others get out?” Keith asks them.

The resistance members nod.

“We were the ones they caught. Most escaped.”

He turns when he hears the sound of something huge enter the ring. He sees a large bull-like creature with four horns on its head carrying a huge axe in one hand and an equally large sword in the other. Keith spots a single double sided glaive on the ground between him and the Aquilla and their attacker.

Keith looks at the Aquilla in the ring with him and then at their attacker and back at the Aquila.

He calmly picks up the glaive and stands between their attacker and the Aquila. It’s not a sword but it’s better than nothing.

~

As they approach the throne room, Shiro’s right fist starts glowing angrily at his side.

He kicks the door in and walks toward the throne where Skirax is sitting.

Anger drips from his voice like venom as he speaks.

“Where’s Keith?”

“It appears the terrorists have…”

Shiro cuts him off.

“Don’t you dare pin this on your citizens?!”

Allura steps up beside him.

“We are aware of your deal with the Galra as well as the Galra cruiser heading this way. We will not ask again. Where’s Keith?”

Skirax's whole demeanor changes as he looks them in the eyes.

“Dead. Because of his meddling, the terrorists succeeded in freeing half our prisoners… Now there won't be a big enough offering for the Emperor.”

Shiro grabs Skirax by the front of his tunic with his left hand and hauls him up out of his throne until they’re nose to nose.

“You’re lying!”

There’s the smallest shake in Shiro’s voice.

Skirax smirks.

“What’s the matter, Champion? Did I hit a nerve?”

Suddenly, fireballs rain down on the roof of the Galra structure in the middle of the city. They don’t see it, not at first, but they feel it.

Shiro immediately throws Skirax to the ground and runs for the palace entrance. Hope shoots through him like a lightning strike when he sees the Red Lion ferociously attacking the building.

He runs for the building.

‘Hang on, Keith!’

~

Inside the arena, the attacker runs at Keith and Keith meets them halfway.

Their weapons lock a few times before Keith manages to elbow the attacker in the mouth. As the attacker stumbles away, Keith readies himself for another attack.

His opponent quickly recovers and then charges him like a bull. They lock weapons again and exchange blows before Keith successfully knocks the axe out of his opponent’s hand, leaving only the sword. He lands a serious injury to his opponent's middle and starts to get the upper hand.

Until the attacker disarms Keith long enough to grab his axe.

As Keith grabs his glaive, he parries his opponent’s sword, but the pointed tip on the axe (not the blade, but the spike on top of the blade) manages to catch him across the stomach.

Keith braces himself with his glaive as he drops to one knee clutching his injury. He looks up as his opponent attacks him.

BOOM!

The entire arena shakes and parts of the roof fall between Keith and his opponent. Keith hears a roar across his bond with Red as a loud roar echoes throughout the arena.

His opponent attacks him and he blocks with the pole of his glaive. When his opponent brings his weapon back for a second strike, Keith rolls out of the way.

He staggers to his feet before attacking again.

~

Shiro is fighting his way into the building with the Paladins and Allura behind him. They burst through a pair of doors and find themselves on the lowest level of the audience of a fighting arena that briefly sends him into a flashback.

He’s pulled from it by Pidge.

“Look!”

Shiro looks into the ring and sees Keith fighting a bull-like alien. Keith’s holding his own pretty well, but Shiro can tell Keith is injured, even if he can’t see the injury from here.

His opponent manages to knock the weapon from Keith’s hands and kicks him to the ground. Keith staggers to his feet and stands, injured but resolute, between the Aquila in the ring with him and the attacker they’re facing. Shiro’s just about to jump into the ring to help when Red finally breaks into the arena roof and lands behind Keith.

Red opens his jaw and a torrent of fire shoots out at the Galra. Both Keith and his opponent are engulfed in flames but no one sees the way the fire seem to bow around Keith. To everyone else, it looks like he’s standing in fire unscathed.

When the fire dies, only Keith remains standing surrounded by smoke while his opponent lies in ashes.

Shiro can hear whispers among the Aquila but ignores it the moment Keith drops to his knees clutching his stomach. He immediately jumps down into the arena and runs to the younger man’s side, the other Paladins not far behind.

He drops to his knees when he gets there.

“Keith! Keith, are you ok?!”

Keith looks up at Shiro with a pained look before removing his hand from his stomach. There’s blood covering his hand.

“Oh God!”

Shiro looks over his shoulder at the other Paladins behind him.

“Pidge! Hunk!”

Pidge immediately runs a medical scan while Hunk pulls out a med kit.

“The good news is it’s not fatal. It just looks worse than it is.It still needs to heal though.”

Hunk quickly slaps an Altean bandage over Keith’s injury.

“That should take care of it until we get to the ship.”

Before they can move, the entire ring starts to warp and shift around them.

“What the quiznak is happening?!” Pidge asks.

“Avis is happening!”

“Whose Avis?!” Lance asks.

“Her!”

Keith points to the other end of the ring where Avis now stands with her eyes glowing as red as the crystal on her forehead.

“She’s how Skirax persuaded the Galra to leave!” Keith explains. “The “weapon” is a person. His own daughter.”

Skirax appears in the ring standing to the left of Avis with the other crystal in his hand.

“You let my yearly offering go but I don’t need them anymore! I wonder what rewards Zarkon will give me for handing them the Paladins of Voltron and their Lions.”

“Oh man! I’m gonna…”

Hunk throws up out of disorientation.

“How are we going to fight with everything warping like this?!” Pidge asks.

“Coran!”

“Yes, Number 4!”

“Activate our training helmets!”

Suddenly a dark stripe goes across their eyes, blinding them. Everything stops moving.

“Avis told me her abilities are an illusion,” Keith explains.

“You talked to her?” Pidge asks.

“I’ll explain later. Right now, Shiro, Hunk, and Lance, distract Skirax! Pidge, you’re with me.”

“How? We can’t see!” Lance points out.

They hear another BOOM! as Black and Yellow break through the roof followed by Blue and Green.

“Everyone, let your Lion be your sight!”

The moment they do, they can see the battlefield clearly. Shiro, Hunk, and Lance immediately attack Skirax and his guards. While he’s distracted, Keith and Pidge run for Avis.

“Pidge, scan the circlet on her head. What's preventing her from taking it off? She told me it hurts her when she tries.”

Pidge does as she’s told.

“It looks like the crystals on her bracelets prevent her from taking it off.”

“Coran, deactivate our training helmets on my mark.”

“Ready, Number 4.”

Keith grabs the circlet and yanks it off Avis’ head.

“Now.”

The stripe disappears.

Avis blinks as the glow fades and the illusion disappears.

Keith immediately snaps the circlet in half.

“No!”

“Try to make her do your dirty work now,” Keith tells him.

Avis glares over where Skirax stands with Hendra and Physco before walking toward them.

The three of them immediately start backing away from her.

“Avis. Wait! Please!”

They continue backing away until they eventually hit the wall. They cower in fear from her.

“Avis, don’t do this!” Skirax whimpers.

“Do what, Papa?” Avis asks innocently.

Skirax peeks up at her.

“That’s my little hatchling.”

All three of them look at her before gasping and falling limp to the floor.

Avis calmly turns and walks toward the door.

“Avis…”

Keith staggers to his feet clutching his stomach.

“Where… will you… go?”

She looks at him kindly.

“Nowhere.”

She then turns and disappears through the doors.

Lance looks back at Skirax, Hendra, and Physco.

“Did she just…?”

Pidge does a medical scan on them.

“No. They're alive. I think she just put them in a coma or something. Whether it’s temporary or not remains to be seen.”

“Wouldn’t have blamed her if she had though…”

They all look at Keith as he leans heavily on Shiro.

“Skirax hasn’t exactly been what you’d call a "loving father". Her cell in the dungeon may have looked nicer than mine, but it was still a cell and I got the impression that if it’d been her choice; she would have wanted nothing to do with what he did to his own people.”

As they're leaving the arena, Hunk stops in his tracks.

“Um… guys…”

Hunk points toward where a large group of colorful Aquila approaching them with a group of neutral colored Aquila with them.

The other Paladins and Allura prepare to fight when all of them take a knee before Keith.

“Hail the Great Phoenix!”

Keith blinks.

“Wait, what?”

Navi is kneeling among them.

“There is a prophecy among our people that a Great Phoenix with appear from the heavens and save us from a tyrant. We had assumed it was Skirax overthrowing the Galra. Now we know it was speaking of you, Red One.”

The Paladins all look at each other in bewilderment.

“Guide us, Oh Great Phoenix! Speak your wisdom!”

Keith blinks awkwardly for a moment.

“Er… you guys...”

Keith points to the rainbow colored Aquila.

“Stop being jerks to these guys.”

Keith points to where Navi and Novu stand with the other neutral colored Aquila.

“They aren’t lesser beings, they’re equals. They deserve to be treated as kin. Also, help them rebuild their city please. Stuff gets done faster when you work together. In fact, see if you can make it one big city.”

“We will do this!”

“Oh and Navi, you’re the new queen. Lead your people well.”

Navi bows.

~

“This is great and all, but isn’t there still a Galra ship heading this way?” Hunk reminds them after they’ve returned to the Castle of Lions to treat Keith’s injuries.

“Coran?”

Shiro turns to the mustachioed Altean.

“Is it just the one cruiser?”

“Affirmative.”

“How far out are they?”

“About 10 doboshes.”

Shiro looks at the others.

“Pidge, Hunk, Lance. The four of us should be able to take out that cruiser pretty quickly with just our Lions.”

Pidge, Lance, and Hunk immediately stand.

“Understood.”

Keith staggers to his feet.

“Wait, what about me?”

Shiro puts a hand on Keith’s shoulder.

“Keith, you’re exhausted and injured from a fight you had to face alone because we didn’t listen to your hunch that something was off.”

The other Paladins gather around him too.

“Shiro’s right, Keith. You need to rest so your injuries can heal,” Pidge chimes in.

“For real, man. You took a major beating today,” Hunk adds.

“Let us handle this,” Lance concludes.

They all hug Keith before heading for their Lions.

In no time, they take out the Cruiser before returning to the Castle. Once onboard, they wormhole to a quieter part of the Galaxy so Keith can rest.


End file.
